Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom will face off tonight in what is sure to be an epic red-state vs. blue-state debate. The debate over how red states and blue states govern is one that we should be having, and I’m certainly looking forward to it.
Unfortunately, I expect that an honest discussion about conservative and liberal governance is impossible. Earlier this week, I predicted that Trump supporters would inevitably pan Ron DeSantis’s performance at the debate because they want to strike a death blow to his presidential campaign, even at the expense of advancing the case for red-state governance.
I was somewhat wrong in my prediction. Trumpsters didn’t even bother waiting for the debate to pan DeSantis’s performance and “predict” that it would end his presidential campaign.
“It’s a big problem. He’s not a good debater, he’s had a rough time debating two weak opponents in each gubernatorial race,” WOR radio host Mark Simone and Trump ally told Fox Business host Larry Kudlow on Wednesday. “He’s not good at it. In this case, it is a no-brainer, 1000%, the facts are on his side. But he is a bad debater. Newsom is a handsome dashing guy, a great salesman. If he ties or beats DeSantis in the charm category… that’s it, DeSantis is finished. Actually, he was finished, but this time he may even know it.”
Related: Here’s Why I’m Concerned About the DeSantis/Newsom Debate
Conservative author and podcaster Monica Crowley, who also happens to be a former Trump administration official, agreed.
“Governor DeSantis has done an extraordinary job in the state of Florida,” she said. “The economy is booming, the out-migration from the northeast and Midwest and west where taxes and regulations are so high, he has welcomed them all, economy thrived, culturally, socially, economically, you name it, but the style factor is huge. Gavin Newsom is always full of it, Larry, but style tends to trump in formats like this. So we will have to see how it shakes out.”
Newsweek noted Thursday morning that on social media, Trump supporters have also been mocking the debate and predicting DeSantis’s downfall.
Brenden Dilley, a pro-Trump podcast host and 2018 Arizona congressional candidate, said that DeSantis is having an "inconsequential debate that nobody asked for" against Newsom, adding that Florida governor's entire 2024 campaign has been "strange AF."
One MAGA social media profile wryly wrote on X: "Just wait until the DeSantis-Newsom debate. Ron will win big league and move up a percentage point. Then he'll only be 49 points down from Trump. Just wait!"
The @RealCaptainMaga account posted: "DeSantis v. Newsom debate is a waste of time and not worth watching. I hate Newsom but he will run circles around Ron because he can be charming and doesn't sound like a malfunctioning AI when he talks."
The post was in response to former Trump lawyer turned DeSantis supporter Jenna Ellis, who wrote on X: "Anyone who says the DeSantis v. Newsom debate is a waste of time or not worth watching isn't really a conservative and doesn't have the best interests of this country at heart. They're just Trump groupies.
"If this was between Newsom and any other outstanding Republican governor, I'd tune in and hope the nation sees the differences in ideology and cheer on conservatism. This is about AMERICA, not Trump."
Unfortunately, I don’t think Trump supporters will realize that. They want to punish DeSantis for his “disloyalty” by making America believe that even people on the right think DeSantis lost the debate.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member